Sunrise hosts annual Earth Day Festival

About 2,500 people were able to learn all about going green during Sunrise's fourth annual Earth Day Festival at the Sawgrass Sanctuary.

The day kicked off with a tree planting ceremony and was followed by the Eco-Chic Fashion Show. Models showed off the designs of students from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. The unique items were made of items picked up from Goodwill and "upcycled" into new creations.

The event also featured a litany of eco-friendly booths, including ones providing information on native plants and animals and available environmental services. Residents could meet a Florida box turtle and gopher tortoise at the Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital table, and youngsters could craft origami butterflies made out of recycled paper.

"This is really a good event that we have been participating in since the beginning," said Robin Reccasina, education director at the Sawgrass Nature Center. "… It was a mixture of people with not only kids, but adults who came by to ask a lot of interesting questions about things they found in their backyard and what they should do if they find a particular animal."

Children were able to take home potted plants, and reusable water bottles were handed out to encourage people to use tap water.

Adriana Manosalva Ocanto came with her husband and daughter for the second year in a row.

"I'm trying to be greener, so this has helped me out," she said. "What I loved is there was someone who was making sculptures out of recycled material. It was beautiful. It got me thinking that instead of throwing away everything, I can do other things with it."

City spokeswoman Christine Pfeffer said the festival "has become one of the city's signature events."

"We have definitely seen an increase in attendance and in the number of vendors and nonprofit organizations that want to participate," she said. "… We get a lot of positive comments from the residents and the vendors who say they enjoy being here."